A Chinese Ghost Story Tells a Human-Ghost Romance

A Chinese Ghost Story is a fantasy film series produced by Tsui Hark and directed by Ching Siu-tung. Starring Joey Wong, Leslie Cheung, Jacky Cheung and others, the first film premiered in Hong Kong in 1987. 

The 1987 original is widely regarded as a classic of Hong Kong cinema's golden age and one of the finest Chinese-language fantasy horror films ever made. Its influence has been both profound and enduring. 

Rather than being simply a romance or a ghost story, the film masterfully blends romance, fantasy, wuxia, horror, action, and comedy into a richly layered work that balances drama and humor while appealing to audiences of all ages. 

Its distinctive Eastern visual aesthetics create a timeless atmosphere of classical romance. Ancient poetry, historic temples, traditional guqin music, and the love story between a young scholar and a female ghost come together to form an unforgettable cinematic experience. 

Director Ching Siu-tung's action choreography is highly stylized and poetic. Flowing sleeves, drifting hair, and other wind-inspired imagery lend the film an ethereal beauty, while recurring water motifs—including scenes of falling into water and hiding beneath its surface—add an extra layer of mystery and romance. 

The trilogy is adapted from Nie Xiaoqian, one of the stories in Pu Songling's Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. Although the original tale gives relatively little attention to the romance between Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian, the film transforms it into an emotionally powerful love story, creating one of Chinese cinema's most memorable romances between a human and a ghost.